We Try It: A hair treatment in a street salon in Hong Kong

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Recently I was in Hong Kong and if you know HK you’ll know that it’s soooooooo “breathes* sooooo humid. Like, unbelievably so. As soon as I arrived my hair (skin and just everything about me, really) imploded.

I wanted a hair pampering treatment dammit.

Being the fashion and shopping destination that it is, I presumed I would be able to find an amazing salon on every end of the spectrum. Ah but no. When you google search salons in Hong Kong

Ah but no.

When you google search salons in Hong Kong it’s very hard for tourists or foreigners to find something to go to. I had always heard Hong Kong was great for its cheaper prices and hidden gems. Of course, the only places I could find on English Google were expensive salons aimed at westerners. So the internet was out.

While walking around the Ladies Markets, there were older women standing outside door ways trying to usher people inside and handing out flyers. I took one, saw it was for a Beauty Salon and thought ‘why not’.

The woman ushered me inside a plain hall way where we went to the world’s smallest elevator. Standing, squished in with about 5 people I was the tallest person by a head. The lift doors open to banging music, and two people step out. There is a night club in front of me. A club. An actual club with techno music and strobe lights at 4 pm, on a floor of this random ass building. Once the door shuts I can no longer hear the music and I’m standing there wondering if that actually just happened. The little lady who brought me here is unfazed.

A few more floors later, the doors open and there it is “Christine’s Beauty Parlor”.

Unlike Kiwi Salons, this one did not aspire to look attractive.

Poor Greg looks confused a bit scared waiting for me.

There were stuff and people EVERYWHERE, barely any room to sit down, and I think I already mentioned this, but I felt like an awkward giant.

To be completely honest, I took one look at the girl with the dry, blonde re-growth (she was a hairdresser) and regretted my decision to come. Just when I was thinking up an excuse to leave; a small, Filipino lady ushered me to a seat and started taking out my pony tail. I uncomfortably asked for (some sort of) treatment.

I later found out they were all Filipino and this was a Filipino salon. This was common in Hong Kong, and heaps of them come over because there is more work and better pay.

Sitting there, I watched this amazing banter they all had, even though the environment was hot, dingy and over crowded. Everyone was laughing and teasing one another and, jolly? That’s really the best way to describe it: jolly.

You couldn’t help but join in.

Sitting there, with a hair cap on and under an old-fashioned dryer I felt more relaxed about what I was getting done.

Then half an hour went by and my hair was given a blowout and a slight trim.

And it looked amazing. Truly amazing. It was so soft and shiny I couldn’t remember the last time it looked so healthy.

I was so damn impressed. All for $30 NZ. Not SUPER SUPER cheap but pretty damn good and amazing quality.

I went from this…

So drab….

…To this!

So fab!

Moral of the story: If you’re in Hong Kong, check out some Filipino Salons! (apparently, there are lots).